No Apology.... and I say GOOD.

[RupertBear]

I have read a few letters to the editor from both Slumps over the years. Many more I ignored because I usually look at the name at the bottom of the letter before deciding if I am going to read it or not.
One opinion I have formed about both of them, is they strike me as very angry people -- angry at anyone who dares to have an opinion contrary to theirs.
There was a letter in the Oliver paper a few weeks ago slamming the Conservative party because the local party members did not nominate the candidate the Slumps had endorsed. It was a very bitter and angry letter and left me shaking my head. And I thought these two were card-carrying conservatives.
I think the mayor made the correct decision and having the lawyers fire a warning shot over the bow of the good ship Slump.
Times have changed, but it appears to me the Slumps have not changed along with those times. The city is correct in asking the Slumps to consult with a lawyer and find out what is and is not acceptable in today's politically-correct world.
Meanwhile, we get dinged twice. Our tax dollars will help to pay for the city's legal fees, and our tax dollars -- in the form of the Slump's pension cheques -- will help pay for their defence.
I hope they have a large retirement nest-egg, because the lawyers will probably want to drag this one out for a while.

[Drip_Torch]

LITKE: If the complaint is about policy or is directed at a politician — politicians sign up for that and we know we're going to get written about and complained about and that's fair game —

I disagree, personally, I think bullying and harassment sucks! It’s not okay to maliciously defame someone, or write libelous comments about them – even a politician. Fortunately, criticism and policy based on bully tactics is easy to see through and not very resilient over the long term.

I really don’t like this situation and wish it were handled quite differently. As it stands today, many in the Castanet court feel very comfortable stating that Mrs. Slump has broken laws, written defamatory letters, committed libel and harassed city employees. None of this has been proven in any court. I personally don’t see how Mrs. Slump isn’t now in a position where she’s feeling harassed and potentially defamed. A letter from a lawyer suggesting she seek legal advice is far removed from the convictions that few of you are tossing out here.

Litke: If you don't like the service in a restaurant, you call the manager. If you don't like the way the bank teller treats you, you call a manager. It's the manager's responsibility to deal with it.

Let’s not forget these letters to the editor (that I’m aware of) are critiquing people with the titles of “manager” and “officer’s”. These are people that are responsible for the day to day management of our city. While, I appreciate any leadership the Mayor might show against the bully culture, I sure don’t agree with Mayor Litke’s take on this particular situation. If managers and officers of this city are removed from criticism, due to the chill effect that accompanies this threatened SLAPP action, what’s to stop a complete corporate devolution from happening? Political decisions could easily be isolated from public scrutiny and criticism, by simply hiding them behind professional positions.

I haven’t read too many of Mrs. Slump’s letters and I don’t know the details around the libel allegations, or even if there really is any. (Frankly, when local media’s most insightful interview of the year comes from a peacock that lives in Naramata, I start feeling my time is better spent perusing my twits, er, tweeps, or whatever you call them.) I’m at best, familiar with some of the topics she touches and I’ve found her to be insightful at times, passionate about what she’s doing and I really have a hard time believing she has any malicious intent. So I’m with twobits on this one. If Mayor Litke felt he had a situation that he needed to deal with – perhaps Mayor Litke should have dealt with it.

Litke: You're not allowed to write letters to the editor and jeopardizing that person's ability to earn a living in the future. You're harming their resume

Yeah, I don’t know about that. I have my passions and I know I am allowed to make fair comment, tell the truth, and make responsible communications on matters of public interest – I also know that doesn’t always mean I should, because I could find myself in a position to have to defend those comments. People like Mrs. Slump stick a piece of themselves on the line when they place something online, or in the paper. That’s why I have respect for those that write the FOI’s, follow the RFP’s and that are sometimes far too easily dismissed as simply PITA’s.

So,… here I stand, shoulder to shoulder with Mayor Litke in HIS stand against bullying and harassment - by offering my support to Elvena Slump and with a pledge to her legal defence fund.

This really is a quirky little town at times.